Magnificent Chirstmas Stories

On Christmas day there is a great feast in Dublin. This, you know, is
the chief city of Ireland. The feast is made for the children. There
are in that city a great many little ones who are very very poor.
There are kind people there, also, who look after these poor children.
They have what they call "ragged schools," where many of them are
taught to read, and to sew, and other useful things.

Dr. Nelaton is a famous minister in Dublin, and every year he, with
other good people, gets up this great feast for the children.
About eight hundred of them came last year. Some of these were only
half-clad, and all were very ragged. They were seated at long, narrow
tables, which were covered with a white cloth, The children from the
ragged schools wore aprons in bright colors, to hide their rags. Each
school had a color of its own. These aprons were only lent them for
the day, and the children felt very fine in them. But there were two
long rows without any aprons. These were little ones who had been
picked up along the streets. Each ragged scholar had permission to
bring all the children he could find. And, oh, how ragged and dirty
these two rows were!

But they brightened up, just like the children with aprons, when they
saw the feast. A huge mug of steaming tea and an immense bun to each
child! Rarely did they have such a treat as this. And how they did
eat! Each child had all he wanted. It would have done you good to see
their poor, pinched faces beam with delight. During the meal a large
throng of orphan children in the gallery sung some sweet songs. Then,
after the feast, there were small gifts, and little speeches and
prayers, and more songs. The little ragged ones seemed like new beings
in this atmosphere of love. Such a glad day as that Christmas was a
rare event in their sad lives. Children who live in happy homes know
little about the sufferings of the poor. Perhaps, if they knew more,
such little ones would try harder, by gifts and kind acts, to carry
sunshine to sorrowful hearts.